Submarine mine



Mar. 20, 1923. 1,449,168

G. E. ELIA SUBMARINE MINE Filed Sept. 15, 1920 4 sheetssheet 1 Mar. 20,1923.

1,449,168 G. E. ELIA SUBMARINE MINE Filed Sept. 15, 1920 4 sheets-sheet2 W 'MM 6 QS MMZW. 0 pm mMi- 'ma,

Mar. 20, 1923. 1,449,168

G. E. ELIA SUBMARINE MINE Filed Sept. 15, 1920 4 sheets-sheet 5llIIIIIII/I Mar. 20, 1923. 1,449,168 I G. E. ELIA SUBMARINE MINE FiledSept. 15, 1920 4 sheets-sheet 4 Patented Mar. 29, 1923.

Mdtdt UNl'l'Efi PATENT OFFICE.

GIOVANNI EMANUELE ELIA, OF VIESTBIINSTER, LONDON, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR TOVICKERS LIMITED, 01 LONDON, ENGLAND.

SUBMARINE MINE.

Application filed September 0 Mi whom it may concern-.-

Be it known that I, GIOVANNI EMANUELE ELIA, a subject of the King ofItaly, residing at Vickers House, Broadway, l/Vestminster, in the countyof London, England, have invented certain new and useful improvements inor Relating to Submarine Mines, of which the following is a specifica-'tion.

This invention relates to submarine mines of the kind comprising ananchor connected to the flotation chamber or mine proper by a mooringcable. The invention has more especial reference to mines in which thepaying out of the mooring cable is effected by the separation of theflotation chamber from the anchor after the mine has been launched andthe parts thereof approach or reach the sea bed and in which a weight isprovided for arresting the unwinding or paying out of the mooring cable,the said weight being normally held attached to the mooring cable andbeing released therefrom at a predetermined point in the ascent of theflotation chamber so as to regulate the depth of immersion at which theflotation chamber will be anchored.

In mines of this type a plummet or sound ing ball has usually beenprovided, which controls the separation of the flotation chamber fromthe anchor by preventing paying out of the mooring cable from the winchdrum which carries the same until the mine approaches or reaches the seabed and one feature of the present invention consists in dispensing withthe aforesaid plummet or sounding ball and in providing retaining means(hereinafter termed anchor arms) carried by the anchor which normallyform a cage or cradle for connecting the flotation chamber to the anchoruntil the mine has been launched and has reached the sea bed, saidretaining means also assisting in anchoring the mine after the flotationchamber and the anchor have separated from each other to a predeterminedextent.

To this end a number of anchor arms, for example four, may be pivotallyconnected to the base plate or lower casting of the anchor, which armsnormally proiectvertically upwards so as to surround the flotation chant1 13, 1920. Serial No. 409,761.

ber when the latter is in position on the anchor. At or towards theupper end of each of the aforesaid arms a tie rod may be attached, theends of the several tie rods being brought together at the top of themine and secured in a detachable manner to each other so as to retainthe flotation chamber in contact with the anchor until it is desiredthat they shall separate. Such means may comprise a soluble plug whichis adapted after the mine has been launched and has reached the seabedto dissolve and to release the retaining means for the tie rods so thatowing to the buoyancy of the flotation chamber and its normal tendencyto rise clear of the anchor the anchor arms are thrown radially outwardsabout their pivotal connections and the flotation chamber separates fromthe anchor. When the anchor arms have fulfilled their function asretaining means they rest upon the sea bed andserve as an additionalanchoring means for the mine.

A further feature of the present invention consists in providingsuitable means, hereinafter term tracks, which are carried by or formpart of the anchor and the flotation chamber and which are of such acharacter as to permit the mine to be launched-by rollin the same uponthe said tracks, thus dispensing with the necessity of providing wheelson the anchor and a special launching track on the ship or vessel whichcarries the mine.

Such special launching means may be formed by three circular metaltracks, which are of slightly larger diameter than the flotation chamberor the anchor. Two of these tracks may be constituted by circular castings which form respectively the top and bottom plates of the anchor.The third track may be constituted by a metal ring which encircles theflotation chamber at or about the centre of its periphery and which maybe constructed in four separate or separable segments attached to theaforesaid anchor arms in such manner that when the anchor arms arereleased by the dissolution of the aforesaid soluble plug the uppersegmental track is also released andfalls with the anchor arms to thesea bed.

In order that the said invention may be clearly understood and readilycarried into effect the same will now be described more fully withreference to the accompanying drawings which show by way of exampleasubmarine mine constructed according to the present invention and inwhich Figure l is a part sectional elevation,

Figure 2 isan elevation with the aforesaid tie rods and the retainingmeans therefor in section so that the construction of these parts may bemore clearly seen.

Figure 3 is a sectional plan view of the anchor.

Figure i is a sectional elevation,

Figure 5 is an outside elevation, and

FigureG is a. sectional plan view of the aforesaid weight,

Figure 7 is a partly diagrammatic view showing the mine resting on itsside upon the aforesaid tracks in which position it is ready to belaunched.

Figure 8 is a view of the mine after it has been launched and isentering the sea,

Figure 9 shows the mine a 'ter it has reached the sea bed,

Figure 10 shows the approximate position assumed by theparts of the mineafter the soluble plug has dissolved and the flotation chamber and theweight have commenced to separate from the anchor, and,

Figure 11 shows the IQIHtlXQ position of the parts of the mine after theweight has been released and has operated to prevent continued payingout of the mooring cable, the flotation chamber being therefore anchoredat the desired depth of immersion.

A is the flotation chamber, B is the anchor and C is the weight which isnormally secured in a detachable manner to the mooring cable and whichis. released at the proper moment to determine the final depth ofimmersion of the flotation chamber. D is the mooringcable and E is themooring cable winch drum. F, F are the aforesaid tracks on which themine is rolled from the ship or aeroplane during the act of launching.G, G are the anchor arms which in the example shown are four in numberand g, g are. tie rods each of which is attached at g to the anchor armsG, the other ends of the tie rods being brought'together, as shown, atthe top of the mine and secured Ito each other through the intermediaryof a coupling member which engages with an eye 5/ on each of the tierods 9. The coupling member is held in engagement with the upper ends ofthe tie rods ,r by means of a soluble plug disposed aroundan attachingbolt and by a nut carried by a plate 9 and engaging the end of thebolt 9above the soluble plug 9 Owing to this arrangement the soluble plug 9and nut normally serve to hold the parts together but when the plug isdissolved by the action of the sea water, the buoyancy of the flotationchamber A forces the member out of engagement with the eyes 0 in the tierods H is a brake of the dash-pot type for controlling the speed atwhich the mooring cable is allowed to pay out from the winch drum E, thesaid brake being provided with a micrometer attachment so that the speedat which the flotation chamber A,and the weight C rises towards thesurface of the water may be predetermined. The lower end of the winchdrum E is formed with a ratchet toothed periphery c, and pivotallymounted on one of the uprights 7) which serve to connect together theupper and lower plates or tracks F, F, is a. pawl 0. At its front endthe said pawl c is suitably shaped to engage when desired with theratchet teth c and stop the rotation of the winch drum, and at its otherend it is acted upon by a spring 6 which normally tends to oscillate itabout its pivot and force it into engagement with the said ratchet teeth0. The pawl e is normally held out of engagement with the ratchet teeth6 by means of a vertical rod 2', the lower end of which engages within arecess 6" in the pawl, the rod 2' being attached at its upper end to amember I which is adapted to be acted upon by the weight G when thelatter is released at the desired moment from the mooring cable D. Thesaid member I is formed in two parts, i and '2 respectively, which arepivotally connected together by a link member 2' the part 2' being alsopivotally connected at to the upper part of the anchor casing. The rod iis slidably mounted in guides b, .7) carried by one of the uprights 7)and a helical spring is provided which acts on a stop 73 attached to therod 2' in such manner as normally to retain the lower end of the saidrod within the opening 6'' in the pawl e. The upper end of the part c"of the member I is pro vided with a fairlead 7: through which themooring cable D is passed.

The winch drum E is provided at its upper part with teeth J, with whicha bevel wheel 7'. attached to a shaft having a handle j, is adapted toengage, these parts being operated when winding or unwinding by hand thecable D on or off the drum E.

T he shaft 7' is also provided with an extension j which engages thehollow spindle L around which the mooring cable drum is adapted torotate. The mooring cable D which is to be attached to the flotationchamber is let off the winch drum E and passes around a pulley wheel (Zwhich is rotatably mounted upon the base plate F of the anchor. Afterpassing round the pulley (Z the mooring cable is passed through thehollow spindle L and the fairlead 2' and attached to the flotationchamber at a.

The weight C is of the type described and illustrated in United StatesPatents Nos. 1,303,272- and 1,296,376; when the mine is out of the waterand before it reaches the sea bed the hydrostat is maintainedinoperative by means of aidevice. of the type referred to in theaforesaid prior patents which is withdrawn so as to release thehydrostat when the parts of the mine sepa rate after having reached thesea bed.

The weight is normally attached to a sleeve 0 which is fixed to themooring cable D a short distance away from the flotation chamber A andit is retained in position on the sleeve 0 by means of a pivotallymounted cranked lever c which is located in a recess in the weight C andthe'long arm of which engages within a recess 0 in the sleeve 0, thesaid recess 0 being bevelled at its extremities as shown. The long armof the lever 0 is normally held in engagement with the aforesaid recess0 by means of a compression spring 0 while the short arm 0 of the lever0 normally engages a notch 0 in a second cranked lever c which ispivotally mounted at 0 to the weight C and is attached at 0 by means ofan elongated slot to a pair of lugs c on the movable part 0 of ahydrostatic device 0 The short arm 0 of the lever c is acted upon bymeans of a movable piston or plunger 0 which surrounds the sleeve 0 andwhich is pressed downwards by means of a compression spring 0 the extentof the pressure being capable of being varied as desired so as todetermine the pressure and consequently the depth at which the weight isto be released from the mooring cable. To this end an externally screwthreaded plug 0 is provided which when rotated by a milled nut 0compresses or relaxes the spring 0 by causing the plug 0 to advance orrecede within a screw threaded opening 0 in the weight C. Owing to thisarrangement and when the flotation chamber A, carrying with it the upperend of the mooring cable D and also the weight C, ascends from the seabed towards the surface of the water the pressure of the sea water onthe hydrostatic device and on the face of the piston or plunger 0 isgradually relaxed until it is reduced to such an extent that it is lessthan the pressure exerted by the spring .0 on the end 0 of the lever 0this pressure corresponding to the depth at which the mine is to beanchored. Thereupon the lever moves about its fulcrum into a position inwhich the notch 0 disengages the extremity 0 of the lever 0, so that theweight of the weight 0 is thrown entirely upon the long arm of the lever0, thereby overcoming the pressure of the spring 0 and forcing the leverc out of engagement with the notch 0 in the sleeve 0. The weight is thusreleased and glides along the mooring cable towards the anchor;

In operation, the mine with the parts locked together as shown in Figure7 is launched by being located upon its side on the tracks F and rolledclear of the ship, aeroplane, or the like upon which it is sup ported.When the parts reach the sea bed as shown at Figure 9, the soluble plug9 dissolves and frees the tie rods 9 so that the anchor arms G falldownwards into'the position shown in Figure 10 thus releasing theflotation chamber which by its buoyancy commences to ascend towards thesurface of the water. The mooring cable at the same time commences topay out at a speed which is determined by the brake H. As the cable Dpays out through the fairlead 2" it raises the upper end i of the member1 into a vertical position as shown at Figure 10. Then the mine ascendsto the distance below the surface of the water for which the hydrostaticdevice has been set,

the weight C is released as aforesaid and in falling it strikes theupper end 2" of the member I and thereby oscillates the part 2' of themember I about its fulcrum i thus raising the rod 11 out of engagementwith the opening 6 in the pawl e and allowing the pawl e to be forced bythe spring 6 into engagement with the ratchet teeth 6 on the mooringcable winch drum E. The flotation chamber is thus anchored at apredetermined distance below the surface of the water while the pawl eeffectually locks the winch drum against continued rotation therebypreventing further paying out of the mooring cable.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United Statesis 2- l. A submarine mine comprising a flotation chamber, an anchor,rigid anchor arms pivotally attached to the base plate of the anchorwhich normally extend vertically upwards and form a cradle for theflotation chamber, tie rods connected at one of their ends to the anchorarms, the endsof the tie rods being brought together at the top of theflotation chamber, retaining means comprising a soluble plug forsecuring said tie rods together in a detachable manner until afterlaunching of the mine, said anchor arms, when the tie rods are released,acting as anchoring means for the mine.

2. A submarine mine comprising a flotation chamber, an anchor, rigidanchor arms attached to said anchor which normally extend verticallyupwards, and form a cradle for the flotation chamber, and launchingtracks forming part of the anchor and of said anchor arms which permitthe mine to be launched by rolling the same upon said tracks.

&

v 3. A submarine mine comprising a flotation chamber, an anchor, rigidanchor arms which normally extend upwards and form a cradle for theflotation chamber and .5 launching tracks which permit the mine to belaunched by rolling the same upon the said tracks said launchlng tracksbelng constituted by circular castings forming respectively the top andbottom plates of the an ch01 and by ring segments attached to the anchorarms and normally encircling the flotation chamber.

In testimony whereof I alfix my signature.

(HOVAN-NI EMANUELE ELIA.

